Rhyme is Money: Let’s make a deal

On January 1st, 2010, I made a new year’s resolution to post a new rhyme to youtube every day for the entire year. So far, I’ve been keeping that resolution, and a group of dedicated individuals have been cheering me on. In fact, a lot of people have asking if I would consider making a CD of all of the rhymes I’ve done so far.

Hey, that’s a good idea. But the thing is, compiling and recording a mixtape takes time and energy away from my other duties, like fundraising for Flobots.org, our non-profit organization. I love creating music, but it’s also really important to me to make sure our dedicated staff and volunteers have what they need to keep doing their work in the community. If only there were a way to do both? Hmmm.

Aha! Here’s an idea. What if I ask you to “sponsor” me to make music by donating to Flobots.org? You take the money you would have been willing to spend on a CD and use it to support music mentorship, civic engagement, and our community space. I spend the time and energy I would have used on fundraising and put it into making you a free digital mixtape with all of January’s rhymes. Seems to me like a win-win!

And, if the idea worked out, we could do it again for February!

THE DEAL:

So, here’s the deal. If you will help me raise $1,000 dollars in donations for Flobots.org, I will create a downloadable mixtape of all of January’s rhymes.

Fundraising Goal: $1,000.00

Target Date: March 8th

The Math: There are currently 350 people subscribed to the Rhyme of the Day. If just 100 of you donated ten bucks, that would do the trick. Or if 200 of you donated 5 dollars, that’d do it too. Or 50 of you could give 5 dollars and get 3 friends to do the same. And, of course, if you can recruit 650 more subscribers, everyone would just need to give a dollar.

There’s lots of ways to get to a thousand. I’ll leave that to you guys. I’ll focus on putting together all of January’s rhymes into a mixtape you can really enjoy.

Here’s how to donate:

Use this Paypal Checkout to Donate with your Paypal or Credit Card:

To donate by phone, text the word “tools” to 90999. All text donations will be counted toward the rhyme of the day.

Click here to find out more about Flobots.org

Flobots supported the Somaly Mam Foundation’s second annual Evening of Hopes and Dreams at a private residence in Beverly Hills on September 29th. The band attended the gala and performed at the official after-party hosted by “Fame” star Walter Perez. The evening raised money and awareness to combat human trafficking and modern day slavery. For information about the Somaly Mam Foundation visit www.somaly.org.

“The Flobots first annual charity event — The Bowling Ball — was not only a wildly successful event-raising thousands for the Flobots’ own charity which uses music to help schoolkids, but one of the best times we’ve had in a good long while. It was really wild seeing all the bands (Flobots, The Fray, Flogging Molly, Meese, and Single File among others) record store people (Us, Independent (who can’t handle their liquor) and uh… Best Buy), and local celebrities like Nuggets, TV people and the like drinking heavily, bowling poorly and genuinely having a blast. There was a very atypical vibe of warmth and the desire to help others in evidence. We tend to get very wrapped up in our stupid little lives sometimes and we forget that we love music, and we love the people who make and surround it.”

(However, Flobots whooped The Fray.)

The Fray, Flobots, Flogging Molly, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Rapids, Colorado Mammoth took to the lanes for an evening of bowling, fun and smack-takling on Friday, September 4 at Lucky Strike Lanes in Belmar.

Watch members of the Flobots prepare for battle!
[nggallery id=1]

Flobots.org is thrilled to announce that its inaugural Bring it On Bowling Ball was a smashing success — concluding with a decisive victory of Flobots over the Fray on the bowling lanes.

The first-place trophy went to Strikes for Somaly Maam. Second place honors went to the Colorado Rapids, followed by the Denver Nuggets in third place.

Many thanks to everyone who came out to watch, bowl, help and give. Special thanks to our sponsors — the majority of which are locally owned, independent Colorado-based businesses.

Sponsors included:
Twist & Shout Records, Hosting.com, Blue and Yellow Logic, Independent Records, ForeThought.net, Spin Creative Studio, IndyInk, The Fabric Lab, Ska Brewing Company and Dog-Topia are among the businesses that have made this event an overwhelming success. Other sponsors include Skyy Vodka, Best Buy and Lucky Strike.

Proceeds will benefit Flobots.org, a non-profit organization that works to create positive change by harnessing the power of music and those who love it.

ABOUT FLOBOTS.ORG
For the Denver-based Flobots, activism and art have always been intertwined. In 2008, Flobots took its activism to a national stage by forming a non-profit organization.

Major programs:

• Live from DCH! Music Therapy Program at Denver Children’s Home, currently expanding to serve young people across Denver
• Fight With Tools Street Team Program, building communities of socially engaged music fans
• Flobots.org Community Space, home to programs and performances for youth and community

For more information, please visit http://www.flobots.org, or call Laura Bond at 303-945-2191.

Get tickets to the event or sponsor a team here!

• Text “TOOLS” to 90999
• reply “YES” to the confirmation text

That’s it! A one time charge of $5 will be added to your mobile phone bill. All proceeds benefit Flobots.org and will help in our efforts to build active  Street Teams around the globe, dedicated to making change in their own communities.

Members of Flobots, a local Denver hip-hop band, have offered their musical expertise, time and heart to the children of Denver Children’s Home. Through a series of ongoing workshops, Flobots members teach guitar, violin, voice, lyrcisim, and recording. Due to the generous funding of Hunt Alternatives Fund, the healing influences of music are daily counteracting depression and psychological stress for our children.

To find out more about this program, and to hear the kids perform music and live poetry, please visit http://www.denverchildrenshome.org

]]> http://flobots.org/live-at-denver-childrens-home/feed/ 5